himself hath declared this in the second Psalm That he has anointed his King upon Zion the Mountain of his Holiness doth and will tell the Decree Jehovah said to me Thou my Son I this day begat thee Ask of me I will give the heathens thine inheritance and the ends of the earth thy firm hereditary possession Thou shalt rule them with a rod of iron as the vessel of a potter thou shalt scatter them in pieces Of this Jesus doth Peter understand this Psalm and from hence doth the Author of the Epistle to the Hebrews prove Christ's Call to his Office of Priesthood This Christ was the first anointed with the Spirit and with the Oyl of Gladness above his Fellows in the forty and fifth Psalm This Name Mashiach or Messias as applyed to this Son of God was well known in Israel as appears by Andrews acknowledging him to be so to his Brother Simon and by the Testimony of the Woman of Samaria who confessed this Name And hence it is that those Disciples of his who believe on his Name have this Honour from him to be called Christans both in the Old and New Testament He charged other men not to touch his Christians his Christs his Anointed Ones in the one hundred and fifth Psalm those who were thus consecrated to him and set apart to high and honourable Offices and Imployments under him by the Anointing of his Spirit which they had from him that is holy as writes John in his first Epistle Which Name was revived and received at Antioch where the Name was renewed in the Apostles times and they were again called Christians For there are the Fellows of Christ being taken into Consortship and Partnership with him in the Anointing whereby they are also made Kings and Priests as John speaks in the Revelation There oyly pourings out of the Spirits were in a fulness upon Christ not in lesser measures Jehovah possessed me saith Christ in the Book of Proverbs in the beginning of his way before his Works before them before the World was I Anointed before the beginning before the first things of the Earth when yet there was no deeps was I brought forth when there was non Fountains heavy with Water when yet Mountains were not fastned before the Hills was I brought forth yet he had not made the Earth nor Streets no not the beginning nor dust of the inhabited World When he fitted the Heavens there was I when he appointed the Circuit upon the Faces of the deep when he fortified the Clouds above when he strengthened the Fountains of the deep when he laid his Decree upon the Sea that the Waters should not pass the commandment of his mouth when he appointed the Foundation of the Earth Thus speaks the Father by the Prophet Isaiah concerning his Son Behold my Servant whom I uphold mine Elect my Soul delighteth I have given my Spirit upon him he shall bring forth Judgement upon the Nations The LORD Christ was warrantably lawfully called to this Office God the father sealed him thereunto As Christ speaks of himself in what John doth write of him and elsewhere in his Prophet Isaiah The Spirit of the LORD Jehovah is upon me therefore Jehovah hath Anointed me to preach No man taketh this Honour to himself but he that is called of God as was Aaron So also Christ did not take this Honour to himself to become an high Priest but he that spake unto him Thou art my Son this day have I begotten thee gave it him As also in another place he saith Thou art a Priest for ever upon my word O Malchi-tzedek Hence it is that Christ is called by the Author of the Epistle to the Hebrews the Apostle and high Priest of our profession and by Malachi The Angel of the Covenant So that Christ had a Testimony from his Father for his being appointed unto this Office not often after he had taken Flesh of the Virgin Mary when a Voice came from Heaven saying This is my well beloved Son in whom I am well pleased and when the holy Spirit descended as a Dove out of Heaven and abode remaining on him but long before under the Old Testament Dispensation And before that also even before the World was he the anointed This LORD Jesus Christ was Administrator under both Testament Dispensations of Grace He chief in Office and all others that were lawfully called and rightfully sent forth were such as did minister and serve under and for him He was the LORD God of the holy Prophets as John calls him in the Revelation and as the Father sent him so did this Christ send his Apostles It was this Christ who so often appeared to Moses as has been shewn Christ was Faithful to his Father who constituted him in Office and who was Heir of his own House In which House he imployed Moses to be his Servant who was also faithful to and under Christ It was the Spirit of Christ who did witness in the Prophets of Old as Peter mentioned in his first Epistle He was the chief one in Sion as Isaiah calleth him who did declare the things that were to come to pass and this is the same Son of God in whom the Father hath spoken to us in the last days Him hath God made LORD and Christ and to him was given Dominion Glory and a Kingdom that all People Nations and Tongues should serve him The Father hath given unto him dignity to execute Judgement he hath given all Judgement to the Son All must obey and stoop at the command of this ever Blessed LORD of Glory who has proclaimed this of himself that all Authoritative Power is given him in Heaven and upon the Earth God hath committed all into his hands He shall reign till he hath put all Enemies under his feet This is he that is appointed of God the Judge both of the Living and of the Dead In this was the Love of God manifested towards those whom he chose in Christ and gave to Christ that he hath sent his only begotten Son into the World that they should live by him so loved he the World that he thus gave Christ that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting Life O how much hath he commended his Love to such He was first in the Love him hath God set up for a Prepitiatory-covering an expiatory reconciliation Thou LORD art worthy to receive the Glory and the Honour and the Power for thou hast created all things and through thy will they are and were created This Jehovah Christ was the Creator of all things as the Father is Creator and as the holy Spirit is Creator They the Creators Jehovah was the Creator of all things This Aelohim was he who gave his Creatures their Being as Moses hath delivered to us the History thereof To this do others bear witness in the Scriptures Praised be Johovah Aelohim that made the
the Man Christ Jesus And thus it was in the Figure and Type of Christ's Mediatory Office the true lawful high Priest was ever but only one in a course of succession who went into the Holy of Holies once a year not without blood which he offered for himself and for the misdeeds or ignorances of the people to make Atonement for them to cleanse them from all their sins before Jehovah whereby was signified that Christ that Faithful Great chief High Priest being once entred into Heaven by his own Blood hath found a Ransoming or obtained an Eternal Redemption For such an high Priest became us Holy Innocent Undefiled separate from sinners and becoming higher than the Heavens to whom it was not needful every day as to the High Priest to offer up Sacrifices first for his own sins afterwards for the fins of the people For that he did once when he offered up himself We have such an High Priest who is set at the Right Hand of the Throne of the Majesty in the Heavens He that is Malchitzedech the King of Righteousness is this Priest the Eternity of his Priesthood is established for ever by his Father by an Oath which Priesthood cannot pass over from one to another either by succession or by descent as that of the High Priests did of Old but it doth and will abide everlastingly in himself This Jesus Christ that Righteousâ— One is the Advocate of his people or their Spokesman who appears on their behalf before the Face of God ' and to make intercession for them Oâ— the blessedness of those who have this Mediator to be a Redeemer of them an Interceder for them He gave himself for them a Ransom for them that he might redeem them He reconciles them in the Body of his Flesh through his Death making peace by the Blood of his Cross He by the everlasting Spirit offered himself unblameable unto God! His Blood purgeth their conscience from dead works to serve the Living Godâ— For by one Oblation he hath Consecrated for ever those that are sanctified The chastisement of their Peace did lie upon him He is the Price of their Redemption He is their Surety He was faithful in all the House of God He sits at the Right Hand of the Majesty in the heavenly highest place far above all Principality and Power and Might and Dominion and every name that is named not in this world only but also in that which is to come all things being made subject under his feet Who shall condemn them Christ is able perfectly even unto the full end to save them by him only they come unto God! he always liveth to intercede for them He prayes not for the World but for those whome the Father has given him and who believe on him that they all may be One as the Father in Christ and Christ in the Father that they also may be one with the Father and with the Son that the World might believe that the Father sent Christ How earnest was Christ in his Prayer to his Father that he would Sanctifie these by his Truth that he would keep them in his Name from the Evil one that they might have his joy fulfilled in them It is Christ's desire that where he is there they also may be that they may behold his Glory which the Father hath given him and that the Love wherewith the Father hath loved Christ may be upon them Christ doth know that the Father heareth him always How ready are such as have Fellowship with the Father and his Son Jesus Christ praysingly to say as that multitude of the heavenly Host in their Song Glory to God in the highest heavens on earth peace good will towards men This Christ is the LORD Unto all Authoritative Power is given in Heaven and in Earth And O how much is there that doth depend on this That LORDship which is here intended and meant is Christ's Kingly Dominion his Royal Government into the Office whereof he is called it being one of his Glorious Names King of kings and LORD of Lords For so it is written in the Revelation that was made known unto John No man can say the LORD Jesus if not in the holy Spirit It is a gift in the holy Spirit even to acknowledge this believingly to apply it and obeyingly in all things to be subject to it Thus we read in the Prophet Isaiah A child shall be born unto us and a Son given to us upon whose shoulder the dominion shall lye and his name shall be called Wonderful Counseller The mighty strong God The Father of hidden ages The prince of peace Of the increase of his dominion and peace shall be no end upon the throne and in his kingdom to stablish it and to strengthen it with judgment and with justice from henceforth for ever The zeal of Jehovah of hosts shall do this This is applyed to him who is God-Man and can belong to no other Ezekiel saw this in that glorious Vision wherein was presented before him a Throne of Royal Majesty upon which was a likeness as the form of Man and this was the form of the likeness of the Glory of Jehovah This was the representation of him who is Jehovah-Man of Jesus Christ the ever Blessed LORD of Glory whose the ruling of the whole World is All the Creatures must stoop of him He is she Head-Captain of all the Hosts of Heaven and of Earth for so did the Scriptures bring him in To this doth that Revelation answer which was made known to John Who saw one like unto the Son of man He that calleth himself the first and the last and did appear as an absolute complete Governour wise for Counsel and strong for Power Like unto this was that which Daniel saw in the night-visions For behold there came one like the Son of man in the clouds of heaven after that he came to the ancient of days and they caused him to come near before and to him was given dominion and honour and the kingdom that all people nations and toâ—gues should honour him his dominion is an everlasting dominion which shall not perish or be taken away and his kingdom shall not be destroyed This was the shining forth of Christ's Princely Honour of his Kingly Administration who was God-Man And by this was manifested the great Mystery of the Work of Redemption which doth further demonstrate the Mediatorship of Christ Who came from his Father in Heaven to Men on Earth and having finished his message here he ascended from men on Earth to his Father in Heaven there to present himself before him on the behalf of those whom the Father gave unto him This is he of whom the Prophet Jeremiah spake that he shall reign and prosper one of the stock of David as Man and yet withal he who should be called Jehovah-zidkenu Jehovah our Righteousness So that he is Jehovah-Man The same
which affirmation is quite contrary to Sense Reason and Scripture as may be seen with the eye in the forementioned parallel Motion of the two Plumb-lines Thus the Seamen have their Perpendiculars which do move right down and do make perpendicular lines equidistant from each other every where in the Waters that are under this one Earth if it be well examined by the same natural Motion of Plumb lines equidistantly downwards it will be found that all Plants do naturally grow out of the Earth perpendicularly and so the Earth doth nourish them and thus all grounds do bear only according to the plain or level thereof and not according to any convex or concave Superficies A Garden though the Ground be rising and indented yet may be paled round with as few equilateral Pales as if it were plain and level because all the Pales do stand perpendicularly one of the most quick-sighted into and of the most experienced about Natural History has declared that as for the moving of Dense Bodies to a point or place which was the opinion of the Ancients it is a meer vanity I have not found though I have searched withcare and industry in this Inquiry any one word or phrase in the Old and New Testament which doth properly signifie a common Center of this visible World whereas there is express mention made of a Perpendicular of a Plumb-line That one place of the Sea into which the Waters were gathered at the first Creation is a distinct different place from this pretended Center in the middle of the Earth which the vain affecters of Humane Wisdom would have the congenial parts of the Chaos immediately to apply themselves unto gathering round in about it as if this frame consisted by an equilibration of parts to the Center of Gravity There is not such an Elementary and Subcortical Earth as is below any the lowest Fundus of the Waters as if this were the Foundation and Basis of the World and the centrical Orb of it for the deep Waters the Gulphy space Sheol and the doleful place are below the Earth they are subterraneous as being under the whole body of the Earth and not only under the upper Superficies of the Earth and therefore these are called the out places O who will give that the Atheist and the Infidel would lay this more to Heart The holy Scriptures do set out these lower places with terrour to fright the Sons and Daughter of Adam from those by-paths of sin that would lead thither There are the Profundities of Sheol the evil Angels were thrust down there there is the black dark passage into the deep corrupting Pit to the sides whereof sinners are cast down This is the hid horrible place the going down there is in sorrow into a place tormentful a certain definit place remotest from Heaven a place of greatest sorrow and of deepest misery into which the damned do descend some are saved from out of Sheol others are cast down and left there How doleful a place is Hell Wo wo no oh is the Language there under the weight of unpardoned guilt under the sense of tormenting wrath Those that will not turn from sin unto Christ here shall be turned into Hell there A place of terrible confused darkness of outer darkness a foul and hideous prison the Gehenna of Fire is there Should I paraphrase upon the several scores of Scriptures that do express this how many pages would it take up This is the place of deadly shadow of weeping of gnashing of teeth of chaining of gnawing worms of burning wrath the wicked are thrust down and driven in there What will those who forget God never believe this till they feel it O how rich is that Grace how free is that Love which doth deliver a chosen number from this wrath to come which doth take them up into the Heavenly places the better Country the Holy Place the Holy of Holies the Eternal Tabernacles whither Christ is Ascended to prepare Mansions for his Disciples that he and they may be together ever together There is the place of the manifested Residence of Aelohim's Glory Q. Whether that Darkness which doth distinguish and separate between the Night and the Day in a large Day be but the want or privation of Light and so mere nothing And which was first the Darkness or the Light And what is the Scripture-Doctrine according to Created Nature and Order concerning Days Weeks Months Winter Summer and Years THe affecters of Humane Wisdom do thus wrongfully determine as if it were only the absence of Light or the shadow of the Earth coming between us and the Sun when the opacous or thick body of the Earth doth interpose between us and the Sun darkness followeth Whereas the Scriptures of Truth will inform us that darkness is a Creature darkness was it hath been that is it truly hath subsisted it doth and will subsist For so is the Nature of that Word to Be is to Exist to have Essence A creating Word was used with respect to darkness The Creaton made Light spake it out of Darkness It is called to the Night which is a real name and is a real thing It sets out real things It has a place a local seat The Darkness was over the Faces of the troublesome deep for this proposition doth note a term or place of Motion or Rest in the most opposite place to â—ight Light is in Heaven as in its proper place in which God doth dwell whereas these darknesses are in the lowest places in the Abyss in that nethermost Pit in the Gulphs Darkness was three Days before there was a Sun in the Expanse to go in go down or set the Sun being created on the fourth Day and therefore it was not caused by the Suns absence Darkness was one of Egypts plagues which had not been so much had it only been a want and no infliction it was Darkness felt which was a sensible thing The Air was thick of it the hand had sense of it It was palpable darkness of obscurity much obscure black and thick It sets out a spiritual Plague which is a real Judgement It is a thing sent and made It is a thing sometimes turned into its contrary It has an efficient Cause Jehovah Aelohim gave it a Being He puts it he makes it he puts a Term or Bound unto it He brings it into the Air as often as he will It has its Properties as sudden arising or diffusion or spreading abroad it has obscurity it doth produce real effect It is divided into several kinds thick black It is that which is unfit for Communion with its opposite Light It is a thing destroyable It is one of the miseries in Hell The Creator did divide between the Darkness and the Light as the Expanse did divide between the Waters and Waters The Heavenly Lights were made thus